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Wikipedia could shut down in UK after online safety law passes, Government told
(www.independent.co.uk)
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this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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UK Politics
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General Discussion for politics in the UK.
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Couldn't we just then go to Wikipedia via VPN if this actually happened? Even "age-gated" websites would be able to be accessed via a VPN.
You could just search "how to access uk age-gated websites" and there'll likely be a guide.
Whoever came up with this idea is a moron
The UK government and technically inept internet legislation, name a more iconic combo.
Uk goverment and laptops with state secrets
Ridiculous, the UK government doesn't have any laptops filled with state secrets... they've all been left on trains by now.
I think we issue leappads now 70% have somehow leaked state secrets the other 30% have been infected with porn
They'll be going after VPN's next. "Online safety" is just a political football to be kicked around.
The idea is moronic, but the blame lies at the feet of Christian conservatives who vote with their feelings. All of the moral panics of the past several decades have emotive and religious roots.
Another thing to point out, Sunak had one foot out of this country before he became PM, he wouldn't have to know the deleterious effects of any of his or his predecessors actions.
I think you're spot on. I'm also deeply concerned by the way so many news organisations seem to be painting it as a good thing or necessary.
The ineptitude of the government is what gives me hope, it seems like every year there's something like this but nothing ever comes of it. Sometimes they're "banning encryption", sometimes there's some idea of internet filters, nothing ever comes of it. They don't have the intelligence to come up with anything workable.
Yes, it's often bluster, but there are just as many ideologues in government as there are in the general public. They come out strong with policies like this because they need to present as a government that would take the action their voters want, if only it wasn't for those lefty lawyers!
Cameron did it with the wholly ineffective porn block. He begged the biggest ISPs to block porn and settled at making it opt in. Ostensible, but still a victory to the socially conservative voters he was targeting.
I'm waiting for them to go after personal VPNs and Tor. I'm surprised they haven't already.
I use a business VPN which allows me to securely connect to my works network using only my work equipment. All legit.
I host my own VPN at my home so I can connect into my network while out and about. All legit.
I then do sometimes use a VPN for bypassing regional restrictions. This is the one I assume they would target but I don't understand how.
Surely they can only ban the use of it and not the technology. It would only add to a list of crimes to somebody the police has been targeting already. A bit like in my local area where the only people charged with illegally using an electric scooter are drug dealers.
Oh it will be personal VPN companies they go after. They can't do much about the technology. They will try to block Tor though at some point.
I'm actually glad that they're a moron. They'd be terrifying if they were even slightly compotent.
We can't just rely on that. We need to fight politically or get into a right old mess. Laws need to enforceable, not only selectively enforceable.
Millions will just use a VPN, but if there is an MP the media wants gone, "MP found on darkweb!". We all know Gove and others are coke heads, but at the moment, no drug charges are brought. But you can bet some poor kid, especially if ethnic, if caught by police doing coke, will have the book thrown at them. Laws need to universally enforced or they make an ass of the law.
I've given up trying to keep track of all these schemes.
Each one filled with more pie-in-the-sky nonsense that will never pass, all so the government of the day can go "well, we tried, but Elitist Technoboffins and Openly Gay Olympic Fencers won't let us."
Same with this Rwanda immigrant crap.